CONSUMERS ENERGY CO
gas_distribution Incident — AUBURN HILLS, MI
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | CONSUMERS ENERGY CO |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | AUBURN HILLS |
| State | MI |
| County | OAKLAND |
| Coordinates | 42.69071, -83.30421 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON MAY 21, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 HOURS A CONSUMERS ENERGY DISTRIBUTION CREW DAMAGED A 2"" PLASTIC MEDIUM PRESSURE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE DURING A PIPELINE LOWERING PROJECT. THE PIPELINE IS LOCATED NEAR 3369 ANTIGUA DRIVE, AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN (OAKLAND COUNTY). THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE NRC AND MPSC AS 3355 KASSANDRA WAY, AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN PER CONSUMERS ENERGY'S SIMS RECORD(SERVICE CARD RECORD). WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXPOSE THE PIPELINE DAMAGE, THE OPERATOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE ELECTRIC SERVICE LINE (LOCATED IN A JOINT TRENCH WITH APPROXIMATELY 19.5"" SEPARATION) CAUSING THE BLOWING GAS TO IGNITE. THE EMPLOYEE OPERATING THE EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT WAS INJURED AND THE EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED BY FIRE. A GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 16:19 HOURS AND BEGAN MONITORING THE SURROUNDING BUILDING FOR GAS MIGRATION. THE GSW'S CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED THE SITE UNTIL THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE PIPELINE WAS CAPPED. THE DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 17:18 HOURS, THE PIPELINE WAS SQUEEZED AT TWO REMOTE LOCATIONS STOPPING GAS FROM BLOWING. ONCE THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, THE PIPELINE WAS CUT AND CAPPED AND THE AREA WAS SECURED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. ON MAY 22, 2019 A CREW RETURNED TO THE ANTIGUA LOCATION TO REMOVE THE DAMAGED PORTION OF THE PIPELINE AND THE EXCAVATING EQUIPMENT. THE DAMAGED PORTION OF THE PIPE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE CONSUMERS ENERGY ROYAL OAK SERVICE CENTER AND STORED IN A SECURE LOCATION FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATION. THE DAMAGED SECTION OF PIPELINE WAS REPLACED BY INSTALLING (OPEN TRENCHING) 208' OF 2"" PLASTIC PIPELINE AT THE APPROPRIATE DEPTH. NORMAL OPERATIONS RESUMED ON MAY 24, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 HOURS. AN RCA TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED TO INVESTIGATE THE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT, DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES. THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (MPSC) UPON COMPLETION.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.